Have you ever had a bad day while hunting?

Status
Not open for further replies.

BP Hunter

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
1,516
Location
WA
Well, mine happened last weekend. It may not be as bad as some may think, but enough to make it not the ideal hunt.

So, I wake up early morning and drive 40 minutes to the hunting site alone. I park the trunk and open the rear and put on the hunting gear. Everything is on until I discovered that I forgot my binoculars.:mad: Mind you, I am hunting in the NW on rolling hills where I NEED my binoculars. I said OK and give out a big sigh and tell myself that I will have to settle for my brand new Nikon rangerfinder as my monocular instead. The optics of 6X rangerfinder is not the best and angle of vision is very narrow so I have to concentrate and scan longer.

OK, after trekking 1 mile into the mountain, I am about half a mile away where I saw deer yesterday and 1 week before. I scan the area with my rangefinder and see no deer. SInce I am anticipating that they will show up soon, I decide to go on all 4's and move slowly a few hundred yards. I put the rangefinder in a small pouch in front of of orange vest and close all 3 buttons, since I knew that it may fall off once I start crawling. AFter about 200 yards, I stop and sit and start to look for deer again. I then open my pouch and dig into it looking for my rangefinder. It wasn't there. My brand new rangefinder fell somewhere in the thick brush. Dang it! I decided that I could not use my rifle scope as my monocular, I then decided to go and backtrack to where i think I dropped it. Of course, I never found it!
 
Been there. Had worse days actually. But I dang sure learned my lesson and prepared better. Now I load everything in my truck the night before. Then when I'm sure I have everything, I recheck it. Then when I get up in the morning I know everything is already in my truck. When I get to my parking place, I exit the truck and check everything again. Twice. As good as my planning is though, there have been times I've still managed to not make it in, or out, with all my gear. That's just hunting. Live and learn and try to do it better next time.

One lesson I learned is: The more you take in, the more opportunities there are to lose things. I've learned to pack light with essentials only.
 
I've had a few bad days in the field. Took a dip in Lake Ontario in late November after a duck hunt. We were out i open water when one of the guys with us decided to fall off the side of the boat and bring the entire boat with him. I've never been so cold in my entire life. We were pretty fortunate to not lose our lives that day.

Second one was deer hunting some public land. Was walking in before sun-up when I saw a really nice buck running parallel to me about 75yds away. Well, apparently a few other guys also saw that deer and started ripping slugs at it. I had a slug hit a tree no more than a foot in front if my face. I high-tailed it back to my truck and decided to wait and possibly meet my new shooting buddies. They got an A+ greeting from me when they got back to their truck.
 
Couple years ago my buddy went out to hunt a "special" hammock he had scouted for past couple months on a public land. To get out there he had to hike 7+ miles as there was no road in the area. On that hammock was a large buck with a huge rack that he had on the game cam for past few weeks. On the opening day morning he gets out there after 2+ hour hike and gets up in his improvised tree stand. As the sun was getting ready to break the horizon he reaches into his pocket to get his cartridges and he finds nothing... he left his ammo in the truck. As he sat in this stand contemplating what to do his buck walks by the stand. After that he comes down and walks back to the truck. Since it was already too late to hunt he decides to take a nap and then walk back in the afternoon to hunt in the evening. Few hours later as he gets ready to walk back out to the stand he sees a guy coming in and he is struggling with a game cart with a deer on it. He goes out to help the guy and sees that the deer on the cart is "his" deer.
 
I was turkey hunting and called it quits for the day. Took a 'short cut' through a palmetto patch and stepped out between a sow and her litter. She nailed me so fast that all I could do was beat on her with my shotgun while she had a hold on my crotch shaking and tugging like a bulldog.
I finally got her off me and she took off with her brood. I surveyed the damage and found my scrotum ripped open. Fast trip to the hospital emergency room and 30 stitches by a physician's assistant who was laughing the whole time, finally got me almost back to normal.

I don't recommend it.
 
Most of my bad days involve me falling in water. I've done it several times while duck hunting. Luckily, my jacket and waders don't fill up with water most of the time. Of course, the one time I got good and soaked it was about 20 degrees. I curled up in the fetal position on shore and just sat there. After a few minutes, I was warm but found that I was frozen in place. The water on my jacket, mask, gloves, and waders had turned to ice.

Another time I was crossing a cable bridge spanning a small creek at a friends deer lease. I ended up falling 6 feet flat onto my back. I wasn't hurt though. Luckily I only landed on my nice soft rifle and pack. I passed up a doe that day because I was sure that my scope was off. Turned out it wasn't.

I've had some scary times, too. A small boat in deep water and big waves is not any fun.
 
Squirrel hunting was excited to take out my "new" gun for the first time hunting. Hit the first squirrel lower then I wanted but thought it was me flinching. Keep missing at the next few squirrels before I figured out what was wrong. Turns out the rear scope piece got bumped or something, it got out of focus so when I first shouldered the gun everything appeared normal. When I would look at it for a bit the lines blurred so I called it quits. Never new you could adjust the rear eye piece or I would have been back in business. :(
 
Wow! Post 5 has to take the cake!
I've never lost a piece of equipment that cost a few hundred bucks or suffered injury so I guess I'm lucky! My worst day is spending a whole day in a blind while it was cold and drizzling all day. It was miserable but at least I was dry.
 
Yeah, post #5, now THAT is a bad day.

As far as forgetting stuff, we've all done it, so before I go hunting, backpacking, or camping, I make a checklist like I have for the airplane. I list everything I want/need to bring because once you are out there you are pretty much stuck. I print off the checklist then manually check each item as it goes into the packs, and then check again as it goes into the Jeep.

Once I forgot camp stove fuel while backpacking, but fortunately a fire could sub for it, so not really a bid deal. Never had a bad day hunting, but was stopped by state game wardens twice in the same day to "check my license". :rolleyes:
 
Wow Patocazdor, I've been attacked by a hog but never there, good you got her off before she got a better hold!

Never lost anything, like the OP, hunting but I'd hate to lose 2 bills anytime.

My bad days hunting usually revolve around others.
This past Sat. I left the beach at 5:30am to drive 3 hours and be in my stand at 9:00am.

Made the mistake of checking on my sick mother "after I was ready to go into the woods" (should have called before I arrived) finally got off the phone and at the stand at 9:30.

Creeping up I saw a nice 6 point browsing but could not get into position for a shot without his head coming up. 5 feet from the cover of the stand and minutes late! I decided to sit quiet and hope he came back that evening. He browsed for 5min and walked off.

Spent the entire day in the stand waiting for a traveler or magic time between 6:00-7:00pm.

Well...around 5:30pm I hear a shot on the far side of the property. My friend hit a buck that ran. After tracking it for 50yards he lost the blood trail and I offered to help (gotta love texting) Sooooo....after spending 8 1/2 hours in the stand I wound up blood tracking his buck another 200yards leaf by leaf, a drop every 6 feet or so in the dark, then I lost the blood trail.

Thankfully his wife was relentlessly checking every deer trail into the thick stuff and she found blood where the buck had circled behind us and gone into the "briars". As we approached there was movement. My friend started in barehanded, no gun, his rifle was at the ATV where he had met his wife. I offered him my .38 and he went in and killed the wounded buck.

The buck tumbled down a 6 foot bank, making a tough job tougher. He went back to the ATV for a pull strap, why he did not bring it when he pulled the ATV closer...who knows...well he could not find the ATV in the dark...lol

I pulled out the phone and got on maps GPS to find the closest trail, he thought his sense of direction was better than the GPS and started walking the wrong way. Sooo his wife and I pulled the deer the rest of the way out to the trail.
At 8:30 we got him back to us thru the woods using "Marco Polo" and flashlights. Off he goes to get the ATV, in the wrong direction again...lol...his wife finally convinces him we are on a different trail than he thinks and the GPS is correct.

I forgot to mention stepping into a stump hole up to my hip going thru the briars and that when I loaned him the 38. it had a holster which he dropped "somewhere".

All a part of the game and he would certainly have done the same for me.
When we got back from the processer he said" I hope I did not spoil your hunt".
I said "of course you did but you'd have done the same for me and I would not have it any other way.

Glad we found the buck and I got a nice doe the next morning as well as a homecooked dinner and breakfast from his wife!
 
Most every day I hunt for deer and/or black bear when the temperatures are well below freezing, and don't see one thing the entire day are bad days for me.

The first (and last) buck I bagged was the last-century (early 80's or so).

Same holds true for the black bear I bagged within a year or two of that buck.

In order for me to not become overly-disappointed, I find that I have to keep telling myself how much fun I'm having, even though my feet and hands/fingers are wet and cold to the point of being numb. The whole time I have to keep reminding myself how much fun I am having out in the cold, clear, crisp air.

I tend to start thinking about all the things that need to be finished (some refer to them as 'projects') inside my nice, warm house. But, then I remember that "Winners Never Quit" and "Quitters Never Win!":eek:

Then I suddenly enjoy the day!

:)
 
Not as bad as yours. Thanks for the story as it makes me feel better.
 
I was going to post, "A bad day hunting is better than a good day at work." Until I read #5...My "bad" days generally involve rain, cold and wind.
 
Solo hunt at the deer lease. Nobody else in camp. Shot a buck. Gutted the buck. Walked two miles back to camp, got the old pickup to go collect Bambi. Loaded Bambi in truck.

Truck wouldn't start.

Walked two miles back to camp. Removed battery from my VW bus. Took battery and jumper cables two miles to truck. Battery got heavier and heavier as
I walked along. Awkward tote, too. But I got there.

Truck started. Joy and happiness. Back to camp. Replace VW battery. Load Bambi onto bus. Go home.

Lesson: Replace alternator and check battery BEFORE deer season. :)
 
Hmmm... yeah, I've never had my scrotum ripped open. I guess my bad day isn't that bad after all.
 
i was thinking more along the lines of sitting in my stand on what is supposed to be a sunny day and getting rained on in my non water proof camo. then, with an hour til sunset, deciding to wait it out while shivering...... only to see nothing and walk out still shivering.

but getting your nards ripped open by a hog is probably worse.....

glad i don't live/hunt in florida anymore. hogs and gators...you can keep it.
 
You bet,

I have had many bad days hunting. I have had many more good days at work that I did not enjoy nearly as much.
 
No matter how bad they seem at the time, any day hunting, where you come back alive to your family with the capability to go again tomorrow, is a good one. The rest is just memories and campfire stories.
 
No matter how bad they seem at the time, any day hunting, where you come back alive to your family with the capability to go again tomorrow, is a good one. The rest is just memories and campfire stories.
but he got his nards torn open.......
 
All the time. I've only hunted northern New England where weather and forest conditions are pretty much always horrible. Hunting in NNE is not fun, but it can be rewarding. It's an activity to be endured, not enjoyed.

I liken hunting here to running competitively in a 10k race. It suck when you're in the thick of it, but you feel proud as hell when you have any success.
 
but he got his nards torn open.......


Yeah, but the PA thought it was hysterical and Patocazador has a good campfire/gun forum story to tell. He also live to hunt another day. I have friends that never came back from a hunt or a fishing trip. That's a bad day.
 
Yeah, but the PA thought it was hysterical and Patocazador has a good campfire/gun forum story to tell. He also live to hunt another day. I have friends that never came back from a hunt or a fishing trip. That's a bad day.
OK. point taken. i can see that losing a buddy is a truly bad day. been there.

But let's agree to disagree on it being a "good day."

I've been pepper sprayed, broken my nose boxing, took a sting ray through my foot....all of those are good campfire stories with a cold beer in hand, but none of them were a "good" day.

and lastly, anything detrimental to the health of someone's nards is not "hysterical." unless it's someone you don't like. then it's pretty funny.

to re-align with THR, I carried a GP100 while in the sticks in Florida for hogs, but not sure i would have even tried to use it with a hog holding my manhood like that. that's just a lose-lose the whole way around.

Patocazador didn't mention the fate of the pig...... now i'm curious.
 
My worst day of hunting so far was the day I forgot my hunting license. I ended up being the driver for everyone else. When I hunt, it is mostly a woods bumming experience with a rifle. There are plenty of things to distract one out in the woods if the hunting is not good.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top